Margaret Dabbs is the lady celebrities call upon to get their trotters red carpet ready. Her international renown is so great, that when Mohamed Alabbar, Founder and Chairman of Emaar Properties, was devising the opulent Level Shoe District in Dubai Mall in 2013, he approached Dabbs to open a clinic. Alabbar wanted the ‘best of the best’, and Dabbs’ medical pedicures are the global gold standard.
I have visited two of Margaret Dabbs’ London clinics, but was excited to experience a treatment in Sole Lounge clinic, which is located in Dubai Mall’s Level Shoe District, the world’s largest luxury shoe store. Nestled between Berluti and Dolce & Gabbana, and opposite the glitzy Vogue Cafe, Margaret Dabbs London Dubai occupies the perfect strategic spot in shoe paradise. I walk down a glossy, gleaming white corridor to the clinic, at the end of which I am greeted by Kaye, the delightful receptionist, who had helpfully provided me with precise and helpful directions to the clinic prior to my appointment. I am whisked straight through to the treatment room, where my feet are placed in the capable hands of Cyrine, an experienced podiatrist from Tunisia, who has been at Margaret Dabbs London Dubai for over a year. As I enter the room, I consider how strange it is that I have spent untold sums on my face and almost every other part of my body, but tend to forget my feet, which bear the brunt of my hectic lifestyle.
I am here to experience the Ultimate Luxury Foot Therapy, which is an even more indulgent version of the Medical Pedicure followed by a massage in a bespoke relaxation chair with oxygen revitalisation.
I sit in a fantastically comfortable, space age massage chair as Cyrine prepares her kit, which includes surgical blades, crystal nail files and buffers. Cyrine emphasises that the equipment is sterilised thoroughly in between customers, and each individual tool is re-wrapped in sterile plastic packaging. This is a far cry from your average nail bar. Another difference is that the pedicure is performed on dry skin; the rationale behind this is that the texture of skin is altered when it is wet, which makes it less easy to treat. As Cyrine works deftly on the dead skin with her surgical blade, she enthuses about her passion for feet. We discuss how the neglect of our feet can lead to an increase in problems during later life. The spa industry has cottoned on to this, and has moved quickly to cash in on our calluses; trusted spa guides the world over identify foot care as one of the major emerging trends. And rightly so; the skin on the feet may be thicker but it can’t side-step ageing.The fatty pads wear down, muscle tone reduces, and the skin loses its elastin over the years, so it’s vital to give feet a good seeing to at least every three to four months.
For the final part of the Ultimate Luxury Foot Therapy, I am given a headset to wear which delivers the oxygen revitalisation into my nose and makes me feel utterly relaxed. Cyrine gently bathes my feet and then exfoliates them with ground tea tree leaf and pumice.The exfoliation is followed by a simply sublime foot massage, which feels sensational, and has the added benefits of improving circulation and skin tone. The moisturiser Cyrine applies is Margaret Dabbs London's signature brand, which is made with emu oil (derived from the emollient feathers of the Australian emu bird), which is both anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory.
After the treatment, my feet feel lighter and look glowing and plump. My toenails are so shiny and pristine that I almost forego polish, but the nail artist Charm brings in a tempting array of colours and I opt for a gorgeously rich red colour, which she applies with finesse.
My feet look and feel brand new; the value of the medical pedicure is that it concentrates on the entire surface, and health, of the foot. If you are in Dubai, I would highly recommend hot-footing it (excuse the pun) to the Margaret Dabbs London Sole Lounge.
Margaret Dabbs London Sole Lounge Dubai UAE
Level Shoe District, Ground Floor Dubai Mall, Dubai UAE
Tel: +971 4 501 6688
WhatsApp: +971 56 943 2837
Email: margaretdabbslondon@levelshoes.com
Opening Times: Monday-Sunday, 10.00am to 8.00pm
Oxygen revitilisation during the foot massage.
